The Congress in Maharashtra is riding high on the morale and confidence of its cadre following the favourable results of the recent Lok Sabha elections. With the stage now set for the assembly polls, the Grand Old Party is in the mood to demand more seats from its MVA partners after it won 13 seats of the 17 it contested, positioning itself as the dominant force in the alliance.
A source within the party revealed that senior leaders believe the people of Maharashtra have once again placed their trust in the Congress, with support coming from Muslims and Dalits after nearly a decade. This renewed confidence is driving the party to push for a greater share of seats. While the exact number of seats they will request remains undisclosed, the party’s high command has reportedly given the green light to negotiate firmly. They plan to protect traditional strongholds and insist on seats where their candidates are stronger than those of their alliance partners.
During the recent general elections, a tussle between the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) over a few seats in Mumbai and western Maharashtra was evident. Tensions ran so high that both parties considered breaking the alliance over the Sangli seat. Ultimately, the Congress conceded the seat to Shiv Sena (UBT), which led to party leader Vishal Patil running as an Independent and winning the election by defeating the official MVA candidate.
Congress leaders are now focused on their strike rate. The strategy team recently presented three scenarios to the state leadership related to seat sharing. The first scenario involves the party securing around 120 seats, outlining which seats they should claim and the strategy to adopt. The second scenario considers a range of 100-115 seats, discussing potential exchanges with alliance partners. The third scenario, where the party may secure fewer than 100 seats, also outlines possible strategies. The leadership is keen to emphasise the strike rate as, post-election, it could be a key factor in determining which party gets the chief minister’s post if the MVA succeeds.
The Congress has already begun drafting its manifesto, which will later be adopted by its MVA partners with minor modifications.
The ‘Save the Constitution’ narrative worked well for the INDIA bloc, but the challenge now lies in keeping it relevant in the context of the Maharashtra state polls. The party is also preparing to counter the state government’s ‘CM Ladki Bahin’ scheme, which promises eligible women Rs 1,500 per month as financial assistance. Over one crore women have already applied for the scheme, and payments are expected to start by the end of this month. Given the scheme’s potential to influence voters, as seen in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress and MVA are preparing a counter-campaign.
Issues such as farmers’ concerns, unemployment, youth challenges, the state’s financial burden, and the exodus of big projects to other states are expected to be focal points in the MVA’s manifesto.
The Congress also believes that the ‘50 Khoke Ekdam Ok’ campaign, led by Shiv Sena (UBT) against Eknath Shinde’s faction, should be revived. This campaign, which targets leaders who switched sides for money, will be crucial in constituencies with such MLAs. The party aims to remind voters in these areas not to support candidates who sold their loyalty for financial gain.
The first meeting of MVA allies regarding seat sharing is likely to take place on Wednesday in Mumbai. Uddhav Thackeray is on a three-day Delhi tour and will meet Congress high command and party president Mallikarjun Kharge and state in-charge Ramesh Chennithala.
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